Beet-harvester.



A. A. MATHISON.

BEET HARVESTER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 22, I917- RENEWED OCT-3,1918.

Patented Mar. 11, 1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1- mw m E .1 3 73 v mm 0% F a wm esgs ATTOH N EY WZM A.A. MATHISON.

BEET HARVESTER. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 221 1911. RENEWED OCT.3.1918.

1,297,298. Patented Mar. 11, 1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- mmumun 1.. gm d TTI Ill] IL lllllllllllllll 1 IENVENTOH ///irafl% /7d/%/50/2 WITNESSES 4 BY W 54 I a ATTORNEY ANDREWAIQOIS MA'IHISON, OF VONTBESS, TEXAS.

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Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Mar, 11, 1919,

Application filed March 22, 1917, Serial No. 156,685. Renewed October a,1918. Serial no. 256,760.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that 1, ANDREW ALoIs MATHISON, acitizen of the United States, residing at Vontress, in the countyofHaskell and State of Texas, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Beet- Harvesters, of which the following is aspecification. I

This invention relates to an improved b:et harvester and the principalobject of the invention is to provide improved means for lifting thebeets out of the ground and carrying them to areceptacle carried by theframe of the machine and to further provide the carrying means orconveying means with improved beet engaging or gripping means so mountedthat the engaging forks will extend in an operative position whiletraveling upwardly and will drop to an inoperative position when movingdownwardl Another object of the invention is to so constructthis machinethat the lifting means may be driven from the rear axle which axle willconstitute a driving shaft.

This invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, whereinFigure 1 isa view showing the improved beet harvesting machine in sideelevation,

Fig. 2 is a view showing the improved beet harvesting machine in topplan,

Fig. 3 is a view showing the improved beet harvesting machine in frontelevation Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view through theconveyor chain.

The beet harvester .is provided with a frame or carriage having a mainbeam 10 provided at its rear end with side arms or forks 11, which areconnected with the, axle 12 forming a driving shaft and carryingsupporting wheels 13 serving to support the rear end portion of theharvester and further serving to rotate the axle as'the machinemovesacross the field. .,The forward end portion of the carriageor'frame is 'supported by a truck 14 including a standard 15 whichslidably passes through the forward end portionof the main bar-1O and isengaged by the bell crank lever-'16 pivotally mounted as shown at 17 bybearing brackets and engaged by the draw-rod 18 leading from the latchlever 19 which latch lever'is positioned in operative relation to therack 20. By means of this latch lever 19, the forward end portion of thecarriage may be vertically adjusted and thus the depth to which thedigging means will enter the ground controlled.

The digging blades pr shovels 21 are substantially triangular in shapeand meet as shown in Fig. 3 so that as these shovels pass through theground, they will engage the beets and lift'them out of the ground,shape of the shovels leading the beets to a point 22 where they may beengaged by the forks-23 carried by the sprocket chain 24.

These shovels. 21 are carried by supporting.

bars 25 mounted upon the axle and braced by the yoke or fork 26 mountedupon the standard 15 of the forward truck and having its arms 27connected with the bars 25. These bars carry a shaft 28 to mount thesprocket wheel 29 for the sprocket chain 24 and further carry dependingarms 30 for supporting a strip 31 positioned beneath the sprocket chainor endless conveyer 24 so that the forks 23 upon the lower flight of thechain may strip. This chain passes about an upper sprocket wheel 32mounted upon a shaft 33, the shaft 33 being rotatably supported inbearing arms 34 -and provided with a gear wheel 35 meshing with a largergear wheel 36 carried by the driving shaft 12. It will thus be seen thatwhen the machine is in motion, movement will be transmitted to the shaft33 and through the medium of the sprocket wheel 32 movement will betrans mitted to the sprocket chain 24 and the sprocket chain caused totravel about the sprocket wheels 32 and 29. While the forks aretraveling downwardly, they will rest upon the supporting strip 31 butupon reaching the sprocket wheel 29, they will move to the positionshown in Figs. 1 and 4 to engage a beet and carry the beet upwardly. Inorder to prevent the forks from moving beyond the position shown in Fig.4' each fork has been provided with a heel 3 7 which limits its pivotalmovement in one direction and holds it in Fig. 4.

rest .upon this supporting in the position shown When in use, thismachine is driven across the field, it having been first adjusted forproper depth of cutting into the ground and for proper cutting of thebeet tops and as it moves across the field, the shovels 21 lift thebeets from the ground and move them to a position where they will beengaged by the forks of the endless conveyer. These forks engage thebeets as shown in Fig. 4 and carry them upwardly and deposit them in.

the receptacle 38 where they will be retained until the receptacle isfilled. it is oi course understood that before the beets are lifted fromthe ground the tops will have been re moved from the roots by thecutting mechanism. If it is found that the shovels are cutting too deepinto the ground or not deep enough this can be remedied. by adjustmentof latch lever 19 to raise or lower the shovels accordingly to which isnecessary. Means for propelling the machine across the field have notbeen shown but it is understood that any means desired can be provided.

What is claimed is 1. In a beet harvesting machine a frame, a drivingshaft, a driven shaft, shovel supporting arms having their upper end portions mounted upon said driving shaft, a lower shaft carried by andextending between the lower end portions of said supporting arms,sprocket wheels carried by the driven shaft and lower shaft, a sprocketchain passing about the sprocket wheels, a supporting strip positionedbeneath the lower flight of the sprocket chain, engaging forks pivotallyconnected with the sprocket chain and resting upon andheld in aninoperative position by the supporting strip when moving downwardly andswinging to an operative position when moving upwardly for engagingbeets and conveying the same upwardly, and means for transmitting rotarymovement from the driving shaft to the driven shaft,

2. In be driving shaft rvesting machine a frame, :1

- ried lay said frame, a driven shaft carried by said frame, shovelsupporting arms extending beneath said frame, a sprocket wheel rotatablymounted between the lower end portions of the supporting arms, asprocket wheel mounted upon the driven shaft, a sprocket chain passingabout the sprocket wheels, engaging forks pivotally connected with thesprocket chain for engaging beets and conveying the beets upwardly, asupporting strip positioned beneath the lower flight of the chain andengaging the forks and holding the forks in an inoperative position, andmeans for transmitting rotary movement from the driving shaft to thedriven shaft.

3. .ln a beet harvesting machine a frame, a driven shaft rotatablyconnected with the trance, shovel supporting arms extending beneath theframe, an endless conveyer passing about the driven shaft and having arotatable support between the lower end portions of the supporting arms,said endless conveyer including engaging "forks pivotally mounted andlimited in their pivotal movement in one direction for holding theengaging forks oi the upper flight in a set position for engaging andconveying the beets upwardly, means for supporting the forks of thelower flight in an inoperative position,

and means for rotating said driven shaft.

testimony whereof l affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ANDREl/V AL QlS l /iAlHlSON.

esses:

M. Comm/ran, o, FORBES,

